Nojiko's Fortune
by SpyralHax
Summary: Luffy is wasting time in the casino, and he doesn't do very well. But he meets a girl who can change his luck for the better. Sparks fly. Luffy x Nojiko fluff.


**Nojiko's Fortune**

**Pairing: Luffy x Nojiko (kind of)**

**Rating: Maybe T, but most likely K (some drinking)**

**Well, here is another Luffy x Nojiko bit from yours truly. Luffy is wasting time in a casino, and not doing very well. Lounging at the bar, he meets someone who can turn his luck around. Sparks fly between the two almost instantly. This one just came to me out of nowhere, so pardon if it is a bit hard to follow, or is confusing. Let me know the results. Feedback, please.

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"Dealer draws." The cool, even voice sung in the boy's head, breath held tightly in his throat as he watched the thin fingers reaching for the deck of cards. Keeping his charcoal eyes locked on the cards, he watched, as time nearly stopped, the card moving gradually from the top of the deck. As the dealer looked at the card, he set it down next to the others. "Dealer draws 9. That makes 20." As he noticed the numbers, the boy slumped forward, sighing in utter defeat.

Looking at his own cards, he cursed his bad luck "Damnit, how the hell am I supposed to win with that." he muttered, straw hat falling loosely against his back as he stared at the cards in front of him, as though wishing would somehow change the numbers.

"Will the customer take another card?" the dealer asked, in a tone that the raven haired boy felt must surely be mocking him. There was no way he could get lucky enough to beat a 20, especially with his own cards adding up to such a number as 18.

"Ah, hit me." He said after a minute of deliberating, hoping that somehow the goddess of luck would help him in his time of need. Staring at the small pile of chips that he had put forth, then at the deck, he hoped that somehow he would pull off the miracle he desperately wanted.

"Player draws 4, and busts. Dealer wins." the even voice spoke, as the young boy flung his arms up in the air, screaming at his close defeat.

"Fuck!" he yelled, watching his small amount of chips disappeared across the table. Sighing again, he quickly stood up, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his worn looking blue jeans, the legs rolled up to about his knees. Letting his straw hat dangle loosely behind him, the boy looked around the noisy casino, hoping to spot his two friends. Spotting the two, he narrowed his eyes, sighing at their diverse predicaments.

Sanji, his blonde friend was caught between a couple of stunning beauties, his black suit wrinkled from the constant attention he was getting. Cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth, his face was unrecognizable as belonging to a human being, his one visible eye seeming to throb in a heart shaped pattern. His lips curled into a lecherous smile, his truly perverted nature oozing forth through the designer clothes he wore to impress the girls.

Shifting his gaze, the boy noticed a distinct head of green hair, hunched over near a slot machine. The loud echoing of coins filling small plastic buckets rang through the air as he narrowed his eyes, wondering if Zoro had won anything. Immediately dismissing the thought, he waved his hand as though to himself, just in time for the green haired boy to shout in frustrated defeat, a trio of fancy katanas leaning against the machine just to his left.

"No point asking either of those guys." the boy muttered to himself, slowly shuffling off towards the bar, wanting to forget the money he had lost. Darting his eyes to the side as he walked, he quickly shot his hand out, lifting a few loose chips from a seemingly well off older gentleman. "He probably won't even notice." the boy smirked to himself, shuffling the few pieces of plastic around in his pocket.

Content with his small victory, he picked a couple of the chips, setting off to the counter to exchange them, hoping that at least he could get enough to cover his drinks. Gathering the cash in his hand, the boy then set off towards the bar, immediately noticing the familiar head of hair behind the bar counter.

"Oh, Franky, you're working tonight?" he asked happily, setting himself right down in front of his long time friend.

"Aa. No way I would miss today." the blue haired man spoke rather excitedly, his younger friend smiling knowingly.

"Yeah, I can't wait. I just hope it turns out better than earlier." he bemoaned, referring to his horrid luck at the blackjack table.

"Hey, you know those games are rigged, eh? Nobody wins, unless they cheat." Franky responded, trying his best to reassure the younger boy.

"Ah, I guess that's right." The boy perked up a bit, resting his elbows on the smooth countertop, lips curled up in a thoughtful pose.

"Don't worry, we've got your favorite. Saved it 'specially for you, Mugiwara." The older man winked knowingly, reaching below the counter, producing a plain looking glass bottle. Nothing about it seemed particularly worthwhile, but the younger boy was excited nonetheless, mouth nearly watering as memories of the drink flooded his mind.

"Aa, thanks as usual Franky." The boy spoke happily, watching the red liquid splashing into a small glass, its hue slightly darker than the red shirt he wore. He normally didn't like wearing anything fancy, but his manager Robin had insisted, and she had left it plainly clear that he was not to refuse.

"Heh, Robin make you look nice for the presser, Luffy?" his friend asked with an amused smirk, noticing the grumpy look on his friend's face.

"Aa. I don't know why. I hate this kind of stuff." he spoke, gently tugging on the silky fabric as he grabbed the drink with his free hand. "Oh. I don't think I have enough for something this fancy." The younger boy spoke hurriedly, producing the cash from his pocket.

"Heh. Don't worry about it. We'll make up for it by you winning today. The odds are pretty high in favor of the other guy, so I'm betting on you. Don't let me down now." As Franky spoke, he flashed a thumbs up, mirroring the action from his younger friend.

"Aa. No way I'm going to lose." The boy snickered, his lips curling into his familiar wide grin. As he sipped his drink, the older man set the bottle down in front of his friend, as he pulled out a small rag, wiping down the bar to ensure its cleanliness. Savoring the rich taste of his drink, the young boy watched his friend as he worked, an oddly tight fitting black shirt covering his abnormally large forearms.

"Hmm, that looks quite delicious." the boy was brought out of his mild haze, a soft, flowery voice ringing in his left ear. Turning around, his eyes widened as he noticed the beautiful young woman standing just behind him, staring at his dark red drink.

"A-aa. It is very good." he answered, eyes roaming over the girl's luscious form. Dark brown cargo pants to accompany a light yellow tank top, cut just low enough to give a good view of her ample cleavage. Her skin was tanned, a sensual shade that accentuated the blue marks that ran across her collarbone, joining several more on her right shoulder. As he watched her, the boy felt his eye focusing on the heart shaped mark in the center, just above her breastbone.

"Oh, Miss Nojiko. Nice to see you today." Franky spoke, giving a small bow to the new customer. "What can I get you today?"

"Hmm. I will have what this young man is drinking." the lavender haired woman spoke softly, gently sitting just to his left. He watched, mesmerized by the girl, a stray scent of tangerines entering his senses. Something about this girl captivated him, watching as her firm legs crossed just underneath the counter. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, a sweet smile on her face.

"Oh, nothing." he answered quickly, turning his gaze back to his now empty glass. _'When did I start staring like that?'_ he asked himself, brows furrowed in confusion at the realization.

"So, why are you here?" the girl asked, a clear attempt to start up conversation. Turning slightly in his stool, the boy smiled, breathing a sigh of relief that she hadn't been scared off.

"Well, I have some business, and I was just wasting time. But the casino took all my money, and all I have left is this." he said, pulling out the few chips from his pocket. The girl to his left smirked, before giggling lightly at his predicament.

"Sounds like you have quite the bad luck. When is your 'business'?" she asked, resting her chin in her right palm, elbow resting on the counter.

"Hmm… I think it starts in about 3 hours." the boy answered, trying hard to remember the time.

"No, it's actually in a little over 2 hours." his blue haired friend spoke from behind the bar, pointing to the watch he wore upon his left wrist.

"Ah, that's right. Why do you ask?" the boy asked, his coal toned eyes meeting a pair of emerald greens, the sight of them sending an odd rush through his body.

"Well, how about I help you out? I also have some time to waste, since my sister is busy." As she spoke, she pointed towards a poker table, with an orange haired young girl at one end, an unbelievably large pile of chips in front of her.

"Is that your sister?" the boy asked, eyes riveted to the huge pile of plastic in front of the busty young girl.

"Yeah, that's her. She's always had a knack for poker, and an even more unbelievable lust for money." Nojiko sighed, bringing her hands up in a sort of giving up gesture.

"Wow. She really is good." he answered, whistling his appreciation for her skills.

"Yeah. So, what's your game?" she asked, standing as she motioned for him to do the same.

"Eh, I don't really have one. I lost all my money at blackjack. The chips I do have I… borrowed from another guy." he spoke, playfully sticking his tongue out as he walked a short distance behind the lavender haired young woman.

"Hmm, so you are not as innocent as you look, eh?" Nojiko replied, a playful grin on her face as the pair made their way to the blackjack table. "Something tells me you and my sister would get along quite well, but it's her loss." she spoke, stopping to turn to the younger boy.

"What?" he asked, somewhat confused.

"Well, first how about we win some blackjack, eh?" she answered, evading his question. Still somewhat confused, the boy sat down, watching with some hesitation as the young girl stood behind him. "First, take your chips out and let me see 'em." she spoke, watching as he did as told.

"Then what?" he asked, wondering how she was intending to change his horrid luck. As he sat, the dealer began to reach for the cards, intending to start the game.

"Wait." Nojiko spoke, raising her hand in a stopping motion. The dealer looked at her confused, his brows furrowing as he pulled his hand from the deck of glossy cards.

"Oi, how am I supposed to win if you stop the dealer from picking the cards?" the boy asked, flustered by the seemingly contradictory actions.

"You're lucky you're cute." she spoke, smiling as she pressed her soft skin toned lips against his right cheek. As the soft flesh held against his skin, the boy began to blush, the smell of tangerines filling his head further. "There, now you're guaranteed to win." she spoke, slightly teasingly as she stood just to his side, motioning for the dealer to begin the game.

As the game went on, he couldn't help but think of her soft, warm lips on his cheek. So preoccupied was he, that the boy scarcely remembered he was playing the game. Looking at the sets of cards, he noticed that the situation was eerily similar to his last game. In front of the dealer sat a 6 and a 5, countering his own cards that measured up to 17.

"Dealer draws… and that is a 9, making 20. Player's turn." the dealer spoke, calmly laying the third card next to the 6 of hearts. The boy gulped, figuring that his luck had truly not changed at all. Looking over at Nojiko, he noticed her smiling reassuringly, nodding for him to take another card.

"Aa. Hit." he spoke, figuring he may as well just get it over with. Expecting to bust, he closed his eyes, ready to excuse himself from the table.

"Player pulls a 4. Player wins." the dealer spoke, pulling out the requisite chips for the winner. Eyes wide in shock, the young boy stared blankly at the slightly larger pile of chips in front of him.

"Congratulations, kiddo." Nojiko spoke, planting a soft kiss upon his forehead. Finally letting the realization hit him, the young boy turned, looking directly into Nojiko's emerald spheres as he reached his arms up, embracing her in a tight hug.

"Ah! I won, I won, I won!" he exclaimed, taking no note of the heavy blush on the young lady's cheeks. Settling down, he then broke the hug, sitting back in his seat, gazing excitedly at the pile of chips. With a warm smile on her face, Nojiko sat next to him once more, chin resting upon her right palm as she watched the results of the successive games.

Time after time, the young boy came out the winner, each time enthusiastically reaching out to hug his new friend. Each time his strong arms wrapped around her, Nojiko felt a peculiar warmth from him. One of safety and excitement, but also an indescribable, warm type of feeling, that spread from the depths of her heart throughout her body. As he won game after game, she began to look forward to his hugs, the warmth something she had not felt since her adoptive mother had passed away. '_I could get used to this._' she found herself thinking, as he finally decided to call it quits for the day.

Making their way through the large crowd that had gathered, the young boy walked in the lead, one hand holding a large case for the many chips he had won, the other warmly gripping the soft hand of Nojiko. Making his way back towards the bar, he smiled the entire way, his thick black locks swaying to and fro as he walked. With a sigh, he set the large case down on the smooth counter, sitting in the same spot as earlier, Nojiko similarly sitting to his left.

"Wow. You sure made a killing, eh Mugiwara?" Franky spoke, impressed by the massive number of chips that sat upon his clean bar.

"Aa. Nojiko is sure good luck." he answered, smiling wide as he looked at the lavender haired beauty.

"No kiddin'?" Franky asked, something of a knowing tone to his voice. Gently tilting the angular sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, the blue haired bartender looked from Nojiko to his friend, quirking a brow as he thought he noticed something between them.

"Ah! There you are, you idiot!" A sharp voice rang out from behind the pair. Turning, they watched as a long nosed man ran through the casino, quickly approaching the bar.

"Oh, Usopp, what's going on?" the raven haired boy asked, oblivious to the passage of time as he had played blackjack.

"What the hell do you mean? It's in like 20 minutes, so we have to get ready." Usopp frantically spoke, hurriedly grabbing his dimwitted friend, dragging him off towards the casino.

"Hey kid, what about your chips?" Nojiko hollered from her spot, causing the young boy to stop. Staring back towards the bar, he thought for a second, before whispering something to the curly haired young man. With an exasperated expression, the other boy reached into his brown overalls, producing a pair of rectangular pieces of paper. Grabbing it excitedly, the other boy ran back towards the bar, grin plastered on his face.

"Here." he said, as he approached the young girl. Thrusting his hand out, he offered up the pair of rectangles. With some confusion, Nojiko took the items in her hand, bringing them up to her face to get a better look.

"What am I supposed to do with these tickets?" she asked, wondering what his angle was.

"Heh. Come watch me in a little bit. It'll be great." he responded, seemingly unconcerned for the suddenness of it.

"Alright, I suppose I could check it out." she sighed in defeat, even as the younger boy bounded up and down happily. "But what about your chips?" she asked, hiking a thumb towards the large case.

"Ah. Well, I don't need them, so you can have 'em." he answered, entirely innocently. Nojiko was left dumbfounded. Nobody could just pass up so much money.

"Well, isn't that sweet of you?" she finally added, looking at the small piece of paper in her hand. Looking closer at the item, a realization hit her.

"Oi, these are front row seats to today's heavyweight title match!" she shouted, surprised at the fact that he would just give her something so valuable. "How did you get these?" she asked.

"Ah, well, they gave me a whole bunch to give to people, but I couldn't think of anyone, so there were a few left." he spoke simply, looking oddly at her in response to her sudden outburst.

"Gave you… but that means…!" Realization hit her once again, pointing a finger accusingly in his direction, her mind racing at about a million miles an hour. "You're not… Monkey D. Luffy, are you?" she asked, watching as his head simply bobbed forward, no change in his facial expression.

"Luffy, we better go." A gruff voice rang from just behind the curly haired young man. A shift of her gaze found Nojiko staring at a small group of people, all gathered around the young man. To his left a man with green hair, three katanas hanging loosely from his waist. To his right, a suave looking blonde, fancy looking black suit sitting tightly upon his slender frame.

"Aa. See you later Nojiko." Luffy said, waving excitedly at the young girl, grin as wide as possible. "Oh, yeah." he said, stopping suddenly before making his way back towards the young girl.

"W-what is it?" she asked, flustered a bit as his face sat only inches from hers.

"Well, they don't let me wear a hat during the match, so I was wondering if you would hold onto it for me." he said simply, yet seriously, producing a rather worn looking straw hat from behind him. The look in his eyes was one of intense pleading, as though the item was indeed quite precious to him.

"Alright, I guess I can look after it until it's over." Nojiko agreed, smiling as a small sigh escaped her lips. Before she could react further, the young girl felt an odd sensation upon her head, as lavender locks fell, covering her eyes lightly.

"Hehehe, I'll borrow this in return." Luffy spoke, a mischievous tone to his voice as he lifted up the bright blue ribbon she had been wearing. With another excited wave in her direction, the boy and his small group disappeared into the casino, heading towards the locker room. With a small giggle, Nojiko slumped in her seat, leaning gently against the bar counter.

"Well, this should be fun." she spoke, wondering what kind of show Luffy would put on during his title match. Grabbing the large case of chips, the young girl made her way to the counter, making sure not to drop even one.

"You look happy. Did something happen?" Nojiko swiveled her head to the side, just as her sister worked her way towards the older girl.

"Ah, Nami, how did you make out?" she asked, scarcely noticing the smile upon her lips.

"Made a killing, as usual." Nami answered in her usual confident tone before turning the attention back to her sister. "So, gonna tell me why you're looking so happy?" she asked again, a slight teasing tone to her voice.

"Hmm. Well, maybe I'll tell you after this." she replied, producing the pair of tickets from her pocket as she set the case of chips on the counter.

"Whoa, where did you get these? For that matter, where did you get the chips? I thought you weren't gambling anymore?" The tangerine haired girl asked her sister, curious if the two were somehow related.

"Ah, thanks." Nojiko answered, taking the cash from the cashier. "I'll explain it all at dinner tonight. But first, we better not be late to the fight." she spoke, a light tone to her voice, as though she were truly excited about it for some reason. Stuffing the cash in her pocket, she slowly made her way towards the arena, waiting for her younger sister to catch up.

Settling into her seat, she watched as the fighters came out for their pre-match procedures. Her heart nearly skipped a beat as Luffy came out to his corner, his friends standing just behind the post, giving him what looked like advice. But the thing that caught her attention was the blue bandana, tied loosely around his right bicep.

"Nojiko, isn't that…?" Nami asked, pointing towards the challenger in the match.

"Yeah." The older girl answered, clutching idly at the straw hat resting upon her head. "It is." Nami was not understanding at all. She would have to be sure to drag the info out of her sister after the match. Smile on her face, Nojiko watched as the fighters clapped gloves in center ring, and she could swear that the young boy mad shot her a knowing smile. '_I wonder if he's busy after the match.'_ she thought, wondering if he would mind accompanying the sisters to dinner.

As the bell rang, Nojiko felt a surge of excitement, eager to see the spectacle. She was not normally a boxing fan, but this felt different. She somehow already knew who would win. It was strange, but she wanted to see Luffy's victory over his larger opponent.

"Go Luffy!" she shouted as the contestants ran at one another. Smile etched on her face, the young girl found herself wondering if he would be in the same good mood after the match. _'Hope he does alright.'_ the girl found herself hoping that he would be giving her another of those warm, friendship filled hugs. _'This could be the start of something pretty nice after all."_ she thought, placing her right hand just over the spot where her heart was beating. She couldn't wait until the match was over.

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**What will Luffy's answer be to the idea of free dinner? I might write a sequel to this one, since it was more fun than I expected. Heck, I could write a whole ongoing about this setting, with Luffy fighting to become world champion. Let me know if you all agree. Anyway, planning at least one more oneshot with this pairing, so hopefully people are into it at least a little. I do think the two look good together.**


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